There was always risk involved with Sammy Watkins, the Rams giving up a second-round pick and cornerback E.J. Gaines for a wide receiver just one season away from unrestricted free agency. None of which lessened, even after Watkins posted less than dynamic numbers last year acting more like a high-profile decoy than a No. 1 wide receiver.

Unless and until the Rams locked him up long-term, the possibility he’d end up nothing more than a rental existed. And when the Rams failed to do that before Watkins was eligible to negotiate with the 31 other NFL teams, that possibility surged from possible to likely.

Any time a player as dynamic and explosive as Watkins hits the open market, eyes are going to get wide, the mind is going to race and heartbeats are going to increase. And all it takes is one team to decide they simply have to have him to blow the whole thing up.

The Kansas City Chiefs decided they had to have Watkins, and they made that abundantly clear by agreeing to a three-year deal with the 25-year-old receiver for a reported $48 million over three years with $30 million guaranteed.

If you’re doing the math at home, that works out to $16 million per season, which places Watkins among the top three highest-paid receivers in the NFL based on average yearly salaries.

The Rams, who were in contact with Watkins and his camp throughout the hectic opening of the NFL’s two-day legal tampering period, decided that kind of money was simply too rich for their taste. They wanted Watkins back, obviously, but certainly not at that price tag given the construction of their roster and the need to lock up foundational players like Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Jared Goff and Marcus Peters over the next few seasons.

Thanks, but no thanks, they told him. For what it’s worth, the Rams will likely receive a compensatory draft pick, likely a third-round pick in 2019, for Watkins signing with the Chiefs.

But just like that, seven months after being acquired in the trade with Buffalo, Watkins was gone from the Rams’ grasp and on his way to Kansas City. In his wake is a glaring hole in the Rams’ wide receiver room and on the field. His speed and athleticism were factors opposing defenses had to respect and elements that helped open space for Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Todd Gurley.

At least initially, the Rams will look to promising second-year wide receiver Josh Reynolds to replace Watkins, although third-year receiver Mike Thomas is also in the mix. It’s likely the Rams will look to the draft and free agency for other solutions.

Make no mistake, this is a loss for the Rams. If not in numbers — Watkins had 39 catches for 593 yards and eight touchdowns — certainly in swagger and red-zone capabilities and future possibilities. They envisioned another three years of Watkins developing chemistry with Jared Goff and performing in Sean McVay’s offense and becoming a bigger weapon and threat than he was in 2017.

But some things just aren’t worth the price tag, and at $16 million per season, the Rams let Watkins walk.

From a salary-cap perspective — this year and beyond — that was a prudent decision. But on the field, the Rams will certainly feel this loss.

There was always risk in acquiring Watkins. And on Tuesday, that risk reared its ugly head.

Vincent Bonsignore is an NFL columnist for the Southern California News Group. Having covered the Los Angeles sports scene for more than two decades, Bonsignore has emerged as one of the leading voices on the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, the NFL and NFL relocation.

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